Christian Restoration

by Bill Grimes
The term "church discipline" often conjures up memories of heretics being tortured on the rack, beheaded, or burned at the stake. In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, "witches" were hung, drunks were locked in pillories, and adulteresses had to wear the letter "A" on their breasts to mark them for life.

Furthermore, the topic of church discipline is rarely discussed and even more rarely practiced in the modern church. Where church discipline is discussed, one often hears cries of, "Judge not, lest ye be judged..." or "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone...". In those few churches where it is practiced, oftentimes it is left up to "the" pastor, a board of elders, or a diaconate to dismiss the offending church member. This is not the New Testament pattern.

Today's church finds itself in a moral crisis. There are crooks in the congregation, and they are tolerated. Because of this situation in many congregations today, the church is weak in its battle with the forces of darkness. Because the church has failed, to a large degree, to exercise church discipline against erring church members and restore them to godly living, the world is many times justified in calling us hypocrites because we tolerate those in out midst who practice what we teach is wrong.

In light of the current state of affairs in the evangelical church, it is imperative that the principles of church discipline be taught and applied everywhere an assembly of Christians meets; such is the purpose of this article. The following issues will be discussed:

1. Is church discipline a necessary part of church life?

2. On what basis does a church decide if church discipline is necessary?

3. What procedure does a church follow in implementing church discipline?

4. What is the primary goal of church discipline?

5. What should the assembly's response be to the repentant believer?

The Necessity of Church Discipline

The answer to the question of whether or not the church should exercise church discipline is an emphatic YES! In Matthew 18:15, Jesus tells us that if a brother sins against us, we are to go to that brother and tell him his fault. In I Corinthians 5:12b, Paul asks, "Do you not judge those who are inside (i.e. inside the church)?" The context indicates that the answer is YES (see verses 4-5 of the same chapter). The strongest case that I can make for a regular practice of church discipline is in Revelation 2:20. Jesus Himself rebukes the church at Thyatira for tolerating an evil, immoral woman who was seducing the brethren into fornication and into eating meat sacrificed to idols. As the verse at the beginning of this article so clearly states, it is the duty of those who are spiritual to restore the offending brother to godly behavior.

The size of most churches of the modern ea often makes the practice of church discipline difficult. The best place for a tree to hide is in the forest. It is difficult, if not impossible, to be intimate with a crowd of people and to know what issues are pressing in their lives. However, in the small house church, it is hard to hide. Sooner or later out sins will reveal themselves, and correction will be administered. The close community of the small home church lends itself to this practice of church discipline. IT is not only easier to detect sin in a house church, but it can be easier for the offender to accept rebuke from people who know and love him.

The Basis of Church Discipline

On what basis do Christian assemblies decide if a brother or a sister is in need of church discipline? Answer: the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that Scripture is profitable for "doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness." I submit for your consideration that reproof, correction, and training in righteousness also take place through church discipline that is properly carried out. Hebrews 4:12 tells us of the Bible's ability to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart. In the Old Covenant, God summarized His moral law in the Ten Commandments. In the New Covenant, Jesus summarized God's moral law this way, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,...soul,...and with all your mind,...and your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:36-40). This is how we know right from wrong. The Bible is our standard of right. It is on this basis that we decide.

The Procedure

Because of the misconceptions of church discipline that many people have, it is essential that we examine what the Bible says concerning church discipline procedure. In the Old Testament, discipline was often carried out by execution, banishment, or monetary restitution. It must be remembered, however, that Israel was a theocracy, i.e. governed by God. The Christian church slipped into a corruption of this pattern during the time of Constantine, when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. Many horrible practices occurred as a result of this unholy marriage between church and state. Athanasuis of Alexandria was exiled from his home no less than six times because he defended the deity of Christ. Many died on the rack and at the stake under the Spanish Inquisition. John Bunyan was jailed twelve years in England for preaching without a license. This is not the New Testament pattern. The procedure should be carried out as follows:

1. The offended brother should confront the offending brother alone.

2. If the offending brother does not repent, then the brother first offended confronts him again, this time with two or more witnesses.

3. If the offending brother still does not repent, the offense is reported to the church.

4. If the offending brother does not repent after being confronted by the church, then the church does not associate with him. This is the fullest extent of the punishment, and never is the state to enforce this decision.

5. If the offending brother repents at any stage of this process, the church forgives him and the church discipline process stops at that point.

Matthew 18:15 states that the first step in church discipline is for the offended brother to go and confront the offending brother alone, and if he repents, he has won his brother. Note that a "brother" committed the offense. The Greek word here is adelphos, meaning a member of the Christian community. It must be left up to God to judge those outside the church (I Corinthians 5:13). That the offense represents a violation of the law of Christ is indicated by the Greek word harmartano, translated "trespasses" or"sins". This is not referring to disagreement over something such as how he cuts his hair, but to a real transgression of Scripture. The offended brother is to "tell him his fault". A one-word synonym for this phrase would be "rebuke". The offended brother is to rebuke the offending brother privately. The first confrontation is to be a private matter. Then Jesus says that if he hears you, you have gained or won your brother. This is the goal of any and all church discipline. If this happens, the process stops. It goes no further. Some of you may say, "Well, this goes on in my church all the time; we admonish each other frequently." I would say to you, "Great! You are practicing the first step in church discipline."

In the event that your brother ignores you the first time, then you take witnesses with you, which is the second stip in church discipline. This is a parallel to Old Testament law. An Israelite could not be convicted of a capital crime unless there was more than one witness. The purpose of the witness is to corroborate every word spoken by the offended brother. This step prevents the "my word against your" situation.

If the offending brother ignores both the offended brother and the witnesses, then the case is taken to the church (the church being defined as the local assembly). If this brother ignores even the whole church, then he is not to be associated with, which is the meaning of the phrase, "let him be to you as a heathen and a tax collector." Tax collectors and the Gentiles were seen as enemies. There are two points to note here: the corporate church carries out the final stip of church discipline, and the local church is the final "court" where this case can be heard. To give to a pastor, board of elders or deacons the power to exercise this final step of church discipline is to give to one man or board too much power. Jesus gives that power to the local Christian assembly alone.

The Goal of Church Discipline

Paul describes the church as the "body of Christ," likening it to the human body. My body is one body, with many distinct organs. When one organ malfunctions due to sickness or injury the whole body feels it. When I came down with appendicitis, it made my whole body hurt. Surgery and antibiotics were required to restore my body to normal function.

The church functions in the same way. It is one body. It has many individual members. When all the members work together in community, each in accordance with his or her gift, the church thrives. However, when one members sins, it hurts the whole body. The story of Achan in Joshua 7 is a sobering picture of the effect of one man's sin on the whole assembly of Israel. Just as the goal of surgery and/or medicine is to restore the malfunctioning organ (and thus the whole body) to normal function, so too the goal of church discipline is to restore the erring church member to right behavior, thus restoring the assembly to normal function.

The Church's Response to the Repentant Offender

What is the church's response to the repentant offender? The Holy Spirit, in His wisdom, gives us His answer in Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus tells us to rebuke our brother if he offends us. Peter then asks a very pertinent question in light of what the Lord has just commanded: "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times seven times?" Note Jesus' answer: "I do not say unto you, up to seven times, but up o seventy times seven." The point is that we are to forgive our brother each time he offends us. James tells us that judgement is without mercy to the merciless. Jesus said also, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Jesus also taught us to pray, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." As you examine how you have treated those who have offended you, do you dare to pray this?

Isaiah 43:25 tells us how God forgives our sins. "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions...and I will not remember you sins." So are we to treat the repentant offender. Once his sin has been dealt with in church discipline and he has repented, his sin is to be forgiven and forgotten. We do well to heed this for Matthew 18:35 warns us that we will be treated like we treat those who have offended us.

Church discipline is a duty that every Christian assembly is to carry out with much self-examination, humility, and a readiness to forgive. Jesus' promise is that where two or three gather together for this purpose, He is there with them.